Three Oh Five
by Joak Drysso
Summary: Weiss is the heiress of Schnee Automotive, and also its sole racer in an uncertain experiment with Formula 1. Battling an inauspicious start, she encounters a strange girl who seems like she might be able to turn their season around, but engine troubles are just the beginning of her woes. Oneshot. White Rose. Rated for swearing and suggestive stuff.


Three Oh Five

A RWBY fanfic by

Joak Drysso

Disclaimer: "It's about family." – Jeff Gerstmann 2017

* * *

 _Past in my trunk, future in my duffel_

 _Emerged from the rubble_

 _The cracks in the street_

 _If I had a chance, but 'if' is all I need_

" _One twenty-nine two-oh-one, Weiss, tighten up that turn 10 or you're going to give positions away all day on Sunday. This is our second-to-last run for the night, so show me a one twenty-eight and we'll call it a good day."_

Her radio operator cut out, and Weiss nodded to herself. Strapped into her Formula 1 racer, in the mid-May Barcelona weather she felt like she was dying inside all of her gear, but she forced all of that aside. She did her damndest to ignore the beads of sweat clinging to her brow, throwing herself into the first turn. Elf cleared, she continued on, her motions almost mechanical in their efficiency. A comment came through after turn 10 but Weiss ignored it. Everything was going fine, and then she turned into Banc de Sabadell.

Almost immediately she knew something had gone wrong. Driving as long as she had and working with her crew as long as she had, she knew how her engine was supposed to feel, how the car was supposed to feel, and everything was _not_ fine. She was off the throttle even as her operator came on to alert her of the computer readings, coaxing her car down to less demanding revs, looking to pit and get off of the raceway. " _Weiss, are you all right?"_

"I'm fine, Blake." Weiss growled. "I'm just fucking mad. Our fifth race and we're already down two engines? We'll barely finish half the season at this rate."

"I'll talk to Müller. These things happen." The woman sighed. "Just hang still for a moment, Yang and the crew are coming."

Weiss leaned forward and bumped her helmeted head against the steering wheel a few times, swearing. "I know we have some new hands this year," she grumbled, "but fuck's sake, can they catch this shit before it happens?"

"Talking to yourself is a sign of insanity, Weiss." A cheerful voice called out. The driver lifted her head and turned as much as she could to see a blonde wearing a Schnee team outfit leading a number of technicians over, as well as a dark-haired woman lagging behind in decidedly casual clothes – a simple red tank top that exposed a few inches of midriff and creamy white shoulders, hip-hugging black jeans, and a pair of black moto boots. For a moment, Weiss's mouth was dry for reasons that had nothing to do with Spain's heat.

Then she was shocked out of her reverie as Yang, who had finished removing the harness, bodily hauled Weiss up out of the vehicle. The blonde looked concerned. "You all right, Princess?"

Weiss doffed her helmet, running a gloved hand over her face to try and wipe off as much sweat as she could get. "I'm fine. Car's not, though." She groaned. "Second engine in as many fucking weeks. Ridiculous. And now we wait for word about _what_ 's wrong with it, and we probably won't have it ready in time for practices and qualifying tomorrow. Which means that less than five races in, we're already on our third power unit."

"It's the way the engine's vibrating." The unknown girl offered out of nowhere. Weiss and the technicians stopped and turned to look at her. Now that Weiss wasn't just leering, she could see a bit more, and what a sight she was. Red-tipped locks of hair, stunning silver eyes, and toned arms. Weiss felt a shudder run up her body despite the temperature outside. Really, the only immediate marks against her that Weiss could think of were the fact that the girl was taller than her, and that she'd decided to offer her armchair analysis.

"I could hear it throughout practice. You were probably noticing some fluctuation in power too, I'll bet." The girl continued.

Weiss's jaw dropped. She _had_ complained about fluctuations, especially in the later practice laps. How did this girl know that?

"That's enough, Rubes." Yang finally said, mistaking Weiss's astonishment for anger. "I'm sorry, Weiss. She's my little sister, I offered to bring her along since we happened to both be in town for the first time in years. I wasn't expecting her to offer her opinion to professionals." She glared at her sister, who had the grace to look bashful.

"Oh! Um, I'm terribly sorry. Gosh, I feel silly. You probably already noticed all of that." 'Rubes' said, her face flushing with embarrassment. "I just, um, I think I'll be quiet now." She clapped her hands over her mouth and turned away.

Yang sighed, but before she could say anything, Weiss cut in. "No, you're absolutely right about the power fluctuations." When the girl looked back, Weiss gestured with her head. "Especially toward the end of practice, it was getting very noticeable. How did you know?"

The girl blinked, but kept her hands clasped over her mouth, which made her response unintelligible.

"Use your words like a big girl, Ruby." Yang sighed in exasperation.

The now properly-named Ruby squeaked when she realized her hands were still covering her mouth. She lowered them to her sides, and then almost immediately shifted them behind her back. She looked down at the ground. "I could hear it."

Weiss blinked. "You could hear it." The girl nodded. "You heard the…look, um, _Ruby_ , right?" At the girl's nod, she continued. "You heard engine vibrations and power fluctuation from the pit area?" Another nod. " _How_? I'm right up there and I could feel the power issues, but I didn't hear anything until just now."

"I, um." Ruby shrugged, obviously uncomfortable as more techs began arriving. "I can't explain it? I just…heard it." She looked up. "But I know I can fix it, too!"

Weiss ignored the sound of skin meeting skin as Yang groaned and succumbed to the need to bury her face in her hand. "You can fix it." She gave the girl a once-over. "You can't be more than twenty-two, and you can fix something my engine team hasn't even diagnosed yet." She snorted. "Yang, I understand wanting to spend time with family, but next time make sure she's with the spectators."

"I've worked on engines since I was four years old and mom let me go into the garage." Ruby tried again. "I know how they sound. I'd never be able to put it into words, but I can fix it!"

"Ruby," Weiss said slowly, her patience beginning to wear thin, "I appreciate your analysis. But I've been living around cars just as long as you have. Maybe you know a few things that I don't, but I have staff with cumulative experience many times yours. If they can't fix it, I doubt you can. Please, before I'm forced to call security. Leave."

The girl looked stunned, and then seemed to shrink in on herself. Her shoulders hunched and she turned away. Yang shot Weiss a look somewhere between outright anger and apology. "I need to give you a checkup before you get out of here. You know where to find me. This way, Rubes." She put an arm around her sister's shoulders and led her away.

Weiss sighed and turned to the technicians who were running over the engine. "Well?"

"They don't know what they're looking for, Miss Schnee." A new, older voice interrupted. Luca Müller, her chief mechanic and the head in all-but-name of mechanical research at Schnee Automotive, was walking up behind her. "I just got word from Miss Belladonna, she's working with the tech crews to get a comprehensive readout. Any ideas?"

Weiss frowned. She glanced in the direction of the retreating duo, before turning back to the car. "Power fluctuation, like I reported over the radio."

"We were tracking it too, but weren't seeing any consistent information." He sighs. "We may have to send it back for testing and pray that our last two hold out."

Weiss snorted in irritation. "I doubt it, at this rate. _Fuck._ "

"Miss Schnee," Müller frowned. "We're doing everything we can."

"I know, I know." The driver ran a hand through her hair. "I just…this is not how I wanted this season to go. News agencies will be on this and we'll be looking like idiots, and then father will hear about it and wonder why he's wasting money on my 'hobby' when I can't even show results."

"We'll take care of it, Miss Schnee." Müller tried to assuage her.

"Um, Chief, Miss Schnee?" One of the technicians that had come out with Yang turned from where he was looking over the engine. When they looked, the young man beckoned them over. They crowded around him, and he pointed out a number of places. To Weiss's eye, there was nothing immediately wrong, but Müller caught it instantly.

"Why is it so loose?"

"Well, ordinarily we'd expect some kind of wear through standard use, but on a new engine like this, it's weird. It's like the engine's trying to shake itself apart." The man bit his lip. "Miss Schnee, with all due respect, I think that girl from earlier might have been right."

"Girl? Oh, you mean Ruby?" Weiss blinked and turned to Müller. "She was a delight. Cheerful girl, talked my ear off about engines. If she ever goes through school and gets her theory down as pat as her practical, she'll probably get snapped up by Mercedes in a heartbeat. What was she saying?"

Weiss's already pale skin lost any remaining color. "She said that she could hear the power fluctuating, and that the engine was vibrating in a weird way. I may have been a bit short with her. I didn't think there was any way she could be _right_ about it."

"Well, I had a good sense of her knowledge. If she guessed that there was something in the engine vibrating, I think it might be worth looking into with our fourth engine in the event of another issue like this. But we don't have the time to knock this engine out and ready the third one for use in practice and qualifying tomorrow."

Weiss chewed her lip. "How long would you need to get the third engine ready?"

"At least six hours." Her chief replied. "Probably more to run whatever diagnostics we can and see if we can find any problems."

"And qualifiers are at two, so you'll need to be done by one." She sighed. "Seven in the morning." A check of her watch showed 15:22. "All right. I'll be in touch. Probably sooner rather than later." Müller grunted and she was off, running flat out.

She caught up with Yang and her sister in the parking lot. "Yang! Wait!" Both girls turned in surprise. Ruby immediately turned away, Yang gave Weiss a scowl. When she came to a stop, hands on her knees, she took a moment to straighten up. "Okay. Ruby. We just lost our second engine, and we're not even a quarter through the season, so my nerves are a bit shot. You said you could fix it?"

Tentatively, Ruby nodded, turning her head back toward Weiss. "I might need to dig in, but I don't think it's a _big_ problem yet. Give me twelve hours and I'll have it working clean enough for this week."

Weiss chewed her lip again, staring at Ruby. The younger girl seemed ready to bail, before Weiss finally decided. "You have your twelve hours, starting now. Luca and the team will help you with anything you need. Just keep in mind that if they start talking about regulations, you need to stay inside them. Especially if it means more changes to the power unit. We can't afford that."

Ruby seemed to light up at Weiss's permission. "Oh, thank you! Thank you _so_ much! I will make sure you don't regret this!"

Weiss grunted and gestured with her head. Ruby took off, surprisingly fast – Weiss wouldn't have been too shocked if the girl outpaced her easily – and headed back toward the raceway and the pit. "Ruby!" She called out. The girl stopped and turned, still grinning. "Do this job well and you're hired."

Ruby stood motionless, for a long moment, before she called back, "I'll blow you away!" Then she was gone.

Weiss looked at Yang, who was giving her an unusually even look. "What?"

"You threatened to have her thrown out, and now you're twelve hours short of offering her a job. That's a hell of a change."

"Do I need to remind you that you're my employee and ought to watch how you speak to me?"

"Do I need to remind you that the only reason your ass remains as flat as it is is because of me?" Yang quirked a brow.

"Wh-" Weiss blinked. " _First_ of all, my ass is _not_ flat, I just…don't have yours. And not a word about me looking, Xiao Long. Second of all, I apologized."

"No you didn't." Yang crossed her arms.

"I…no, I definitely did." The Schnee scowled.

"You definitely did not. I was right there listening, I'd know."

"I'm sure I…shit, I didn't, did I? Okay, I'll apologize to her. I owe her that much, especially if she saves that engine. Anyways, I'd figure you'd be glad. You said it's been years since you saw her, now you have a chance to work together."

"I _am_ glad. Kinda. Ruby's just, my little sister is very important to me. I wasn't real happy with the way you came out swinging at her."

"I _know_. And I'm sorry. I'll apologize to her later, like I said." Weiss turned. "Can we continue this while you help me cool down?"

"I _guess_." Yang sighed, and ended up alongside her as they turned back toward the raceway.

"I'll say that a big part of it was Luca. He told me that he and your sis – Ruby hit it off pretty quickly."

"Ruby's a good girl, just real nervous about meeting people unless she's totally in her element. Her element just happens to be engines. Luca's a good guy with a ton of knowledge. They were friends in two minutes and she was picking his brain in five." Yang shrugged. "She wasn't kidding when she said she's been into cars ever since she was a kid. Her photo album is normal little girl pictures, and then she turns four and she's never out of shot of cars or tools. We always joked that her first crush would be James Dean, but it ended up being Sabine Schmitz."

"Hm." Weiss nodded. "Still, the hearing thing?"

"Ruby…I don't even pretend to know, but she's always been in tune with engines. Mom used to say that every great driver could know everything about their engine from its sound."

Weiss grunted noncommittally, a bit irritated at the possibly unintended dig. "He also said something that surprised me. She's not been to college?"

Yang shook her head, her lips twisting in disapproval. "The minute Ruby finished high school she enlisted in the US Engineering Corps. Became a mechanic in the army. She served four years, and now she's IRR."

"Your sister is ex-military? I didn't think someone from your stock was capable of following orders."

"Xiao Long blood bows before no one," Yang replied with a grin, flexing her arm, before letting it fall. "I never really understood why she left home like she did. I don't even know how she made it through Basic, honestly, but apparently she was real serious about it to spend four years before ending up in the Reserves."

They were silent for a few minutes as they walked. Then, as they reached the area they'd be doing stretching in, Yang spoke up. "Thanks, Weiss. For giving her a job where I can keep an eye on her, even if that wasn't your intention."

"I haven't hired her yet." Weiss frowned in confusion. "I just gave her the opportunity to prove herself."

"That's as good as giving her the job when cars are concerned." Yang shrugged. "Still. You're good people. I take back all…okay most of the horrible things I talk about when we're shooting the shit."

"Yang Xiao Long, you… _oooh_ , I'm going to kick your ass one day."

Yang laughed. "You wish, Princess."

Weiss smiled, but it dimmed as her mind went to her own siblings. Winter, distant, leading up R&D in Mercedes. And Whitley, the sniveling little shit, trying to bring down her fragile house of cards to gain father's favor. Eventually, she said, "I understand why you want her around. You're welcome, Yang."

* * *

Weiss was up at five o'clock the next morning. A five kilometer run at just under seven minute mile pace started her off. No weight work today, though she missed the familiarity. She finished her run close to the garage, and her nerves being what they were, she had to go inside.

What she found was rather surprising to her. A tech team was hard at work loading an engine into her car, and were making rapid progress. Luca watched dutifully from nearby, while in an office chair that had obviously been dragged from elsewhere, Ruby snoozed.

Weiss made her way over to Luca, keeping her voice low. It was relatively unnecessary given the racket the crew was making, but she felt the need to make the token gesture. "How's it look?"

"Perfect." Luca replied. Weiss turned to him, shocked. "I'm not even exaggerating. It took us about an hour of listening to her and trying to explain our tools to her to get a cross-section of where, what, and _how_ we needed to look at it, but we found the issue. Long story short, we pulled apart only the pieces we needed to, made the changes, and ran the tests. No problems, so we're putting it back in."

"I'm impressed. Good work to everyone," she said, raising her voice and drawing attention to herself. "I'll make sure this is remembered when paychecks get cut." The techs almost immediately returned to work, perhaps a bit more alert this time.

"We owe her. When she came in I think some of the older mechanics were a bit skeptical and annoyed, but after they found out she knew what she was talking about I think it lit a bit of a fire under them. Nothing like being upstaged by a girl with no schooling and a lot of technical training."

"Yang said that she worked with her mother on engines from when she was four until she graduated high school. If she's as in-tune as she says she is, I want her on this team." Weiss said softly. "We'll see how things look at the end of qualifying."

"It'll probably ruffle some feathers." Luca said. "Nobody wants to lose their place."

"She'll be outside the chain. Think of her as my personal mechanic. Until she gets proper training and education, I wouldn't put her anywhere near the head of a team. In three or four years when she's finished a proper education, there shouldn't be any complaints wherever she ends up."

"Maybe." He said. "We're gonna finish up here and try to catch a bit of sleep before last practice. You go get ready. We didn't bust our asses so you could fail out in qualifying."

Weiss huffed, but the smile spoke otherwise. "Very well." She looked down at Ruby, and snorted before leaning down and wiping a bit of drool off of her jaw. "You and I have a lot to talk about, I think." She said softly. The girl gave no obvious response except another snore, which made Weiss giggle. Then she straightened up and made her way out.

* * *

Weiss started practice excited. Halfway through, she was confused. By the end, she was perturbed. " _One twenty-five one-four-seven. Shave another quarter-second off and we have a chance at Q2, Weiss."_

That wouldn't be much of an issue, presuming she didn't kill herself on accident. She was glad for this extra practice, because she was suddenly driving an entirely different machine and it was alarming. It wasn't _bad_ by any stretch, but the engine's performance was entirely different now and she kept finding herself unconsciously backing off because it was suddenly responsive in places it hadn't been yesterday.

She found Ruby still in the office chair, her arms around her shins and her chin on her knees. Yang was slowly spinning the chair while they both listened to Luca and the techs analyzing data. Ruby's expression suggested she wasn't catching much of it, but Yang was focused almost entirely on her sister.

Weiss watched for a moment, feeling an ugly tendril of jealousy coil its way around her heart, before she shook her head. "Did you do anything to the engine aside from fixing it?"

Both girls suddenly looked her direction, at least until Ruby's chair slowly swung around to face the other way. Yang reached out with her foot and nudged it so that Ruby was facing the heiress once again. "What do you mean?"

"I mean what I asked. Those engines have _never_ felt that responsive before. My first lap out I thought I was going to die."

"Oh. That wasn't me – or well, I'm just the one who found the defect in your engine. Luca was the one who declared your gear ratios at the start of the season, and he told me I couldn't change them." Ruby grumbled. "Still think that's dumb."

"The rules are the rules." Weiss sighed. "So you're saying that the vibration problem was so bad that the engine wasn't producing like it should have been?"

"Yup. The power fluctuations were the biggest sign, but that engine, according to the graphs they were showing me, has apparently been underperforming since its creation. Fix the problem, the engine suddenly gets better. I think with a few ratio changes you'd be even faster."

Weiss was gobsmacked. "How can you tell?"

The mechanic shrugged. "I can hear the engine."

The heiress stared at her for a moment, and she sighed and slumped, half a laugh escaping her. "Well, a promise is a promise. You're hired."

Yang cleared her throat. Weiss looked up, and found her glaring, before looking down at Ruby.

Weiss clapped a hand over her mouth. "Oh! Right. Um. I'm…oh I fucked _all_ of this up." She groaned, and then held out her hand.

Ruby blinked and looked at it for a moment before she hesitantly reached out and took it. Judging by her squeak, she was not expecting Weiss to pull her from the chair. She caught herself, but when she straightened she was not very far from Weiss's face.

Weiss watched as Ruby's face colored, and for a moment she felt some heat rush into her own, so close now to this woman she fully admitted was very attractive. But she had more important things to do than gawk. If she wasn't going to be polite, she'd just kiss the girl anyways. "Hello. My name is Weiss Schnee, driver for Schnee Automotive's F1 team. I'd like to apologize for my shortness yesterday."

"Oh! Um. I'm Ruby Rose." Rose? Wasn't she Yang's sister? "And don't mind it, I should have maybe been a bit more aware that you weren't in a mood to hear a stranger talk about your team."

"Well, we'll just have to fix that, won't we?" Weiss beamed. "After all, from now on, you're going to work as my personal mechanic."

"Huh?" Ruby tilted her head.

"I told you yesterday, if you solved my problem you'd be hired on. Our team is full right now and you don't have the background or experience with our tools. A degree of study at Zwickau with weekend and vacation experience on the team and you'd be familiar enough with our staff and systems that nobody could complain about you being hired on as a full member."

"Uh," Ruby replied intelligently.

Yang swatted her head. "Just take it, sis. We'll work together, and you'll get an education out of it!"

"I would have gotten one anyways," Ruby replied petulantly. "Eventually."

"Well, now you're getting one sooner, and on Schnee's dime."

Ruby looked down at Weiss, seemingly unaware that they were still maybe three inches separated. "I just want to know…why?"

"Because I'd be an idiot to let you slip out of my hands." Weiss paused, and then colored as she realized how that sounded. Ruby flushed a moment later when Yang groaned and said, "Just _kiss_ already."

Self-consciously, Weiss took a step back. "Anyways, you're some kind of engine-whisperer and with proper education you might be the edge we need to propel us to the top of Formula 1. I wouldn't want to give Winter and those fuckers at Mercedes another edge."

"Well. Um, thanks." Ruby pulled at the hem of her tank-top, the same one from yesterday. "I'll take the job. Not like I have anything else, and it'd be nice to be around Yang more often."

The blonde walked forward and clapped her sister on the back. "Hell yeah, Ruby and Yang together again!"

"I feel like I've made a huge mistake," Weiss said dryly. "Tell me, please, that you're not anything like your sister."

Ruby snickered. "Mom wasn't quite as exuberant as Raven was, to hear dad tell the stories."

Yang swayed dramatically, laying her forearm across her brow. "Betrayed by my own blood. Just wait til I tell mom on you. 'Ruby's picking on me!'"

Ruby laughed and looked up at her sister. "Yeah, I'm sure she'd buy that. Big bad Ruby picking on little helpless Yang."

Weiss watched them for a moment, her smile wavering and then falling off. "Well, I'll let you two catch up. I've done what I wanted, and now I need to go start getting ready for qualifiers. Yang, I'll see you in an hour."

"Of course." Yang blinked. "I'll be there."

Weiss turned and walked off, cursing herself for her jealousy.

* * *

Qualifying was always worse for Weiss than the race proper. Once the field was set, that was that. She'd feel the same starting randomly at 22 as if she'd earned the place through her own incompetence. But the drive to start higher gnawed at her gut.

So she followed the lead car, feeling the throbbing heart of her car through her hands and feet and body. She closed her eyes for a moment and simply existed with the car. Then she exhaled and opened her eyes, and her grip firmed. "Blake?"

" _Here. What is it, Weiss?"_

"My compliments to the team. We're at least getting into Q2."

" _I'll hold you to that."_ Blake responded.

For a few more seconds, the cars followed. They had eighteen minutes to set the lap they felt confident would place them in position. If possible, Weiss and her team were hoping for five or six laps – at her best speed, she'd have time for _maybe_ twelve, but that was putting a lot of stress on tires they'd need for the race proper, and if she made it into second or even god help them third qualifiers, putting the tires through that much pain would make any position difficult to hold on race day.

So she had five or six laps to put up a time equal to or better than her practice laps, and hope that was enough to settle them for Q2.

The pack surged ahead. Weiss fell in line on the approach to Elf, and for the first time all weekend felt like she hit the line perfectly. Her engine roared as she flew out of the turn, loving the feel of finally unleashing the full might of the Schnee Automotive engine. The rest of the track came one turn after the next, and she handled every situation with a newfound appreciation for every aspect of her car, but always in the back of her mind was that young mechanic.

Three laps in, Blake came over the radio. " _Weiss, that's enough, bring it in afterward."_

Weiss started and frowned. "We've still got three laps left, why are you bringing me in that quickly?"

" _Weiss, you just posted One twenty-three eight-eight-six. That's easily enough for Q2. Get in here, take a break and get ready for round two."_

The driver moved to pit, stunned at the news. That was a second and change off of her best time in practice.

Her crew was waiting. She left the car, and immediately the techs were on it, doing whatever maintenance they could to get it ready for second qualifier. She walked, dumbly, over to Blake, who was watching the chaos and talking to Yang. "One twenty-three eight-eight-six? Are you serious?"

Blake grinned. "Completely. The techs were screaming when it went up. Good job, Weiss."

Yang reached out and slapped her on the shoulder. "Killer job, princess. Now just do it again but better for the second and we'll be top ten for the first time."

Weiss snorted. "You know, I might be able to. It was weird, it felt fully natural for the first time." She glanced around. "Where's Ruby?"

"Yeah, about that," Yang crossed her arms. "Don't think I didn't catch you two sharing a moment earlier. Is 'personal mechanic' slang for 'sex slave' in automotive circles?"

Weiss's face turned scarlet. "Yang Xiao Long, shut the fuck up!" She yelped.

Yang cackled. "I never get tired of hearing you swear, princess. But seriously, am I going to have to worry about you putting the moves on my sister? Remember that I can break you any time I want."

Weiss sputtered for a moment, before forcing herself to calm down. "And what if I said that I was interested?"

Yang paused for a moment, her eyes drifting away from Weiss and then back. "Why?"

"Let's get the obvious reason out of the way. She's hot." Weiss shifted a little, her color rising again at such a blunt admission to the girl's sister. "But I'm genuinely interested in learning more about her. I hired her because I don't want to let her talent get away, only to have Winter or someone snatch her up, but I want to get to know her better. If she's working as my mechanic, then we'll see plenty of each other."

"I thought you were gonna have her up at Zwickau studying? You're not going to be able to see too much of her like that."

Weiss waved a hand. "If it comes to that, with the money we'll be paying her she can easily afford a decent apartment and it's not a huge drive from Zwickau to Zurich if they happen to need me around in the off-season. In the on-season, I'll see her every weekend regardless."

Yang studied her for a moment, tapping her fingers on her biceps rhythmically. After a moment she sighed and flung her arms up. "Oh whatever, it's not like it's even my choice anyways."

Weiss snorted, and then froze when a voice came from behind her. "She's right, it's mine."

Slowly, she turned to see Ruby some six feet back, her own arms crossed, giving Weiss a lookover. After her nap she'd gone back and changed, now wearing a pair of overalls littered with old, impossible-to-remove oil stains, and a simple white t-shirt. Weiss momentarily lamented the change – anything that hid her body away was a sin.

After a few seconds, Ruby strode up to Weiss. "So. I'm hot, am I?" The husk in her voice made Weiss's knees buckle. Where was the girl who hunched over when Weiss spoke angrily at her? Who on earth was this? Whoever she was, Weiss sure as hell didn't mind. "Well, I don't mind seeing where this goes. But we're going to do this proper."

Weiss swallowed the deluge of saliva. "Tomorrow night, after the race. I know a place nearby."

"Sounds good. I'll drive." Ruby grinned and then leaned over and placed a kiss on the corner of Weiss's mouth. "Go kick some butt in qualifying and maybe we'll celebrate the podium as well."

"Yeah okay." Weiss said dumbly.

Ruby sauntered off, and Weiss sure as hell watched her go. At a delicate cough, she jumped, turning to Blake, who pointed at her watch. Weiss grimaced. She needed to start getting ready for Q2.

But first. She turned to glare at Yang. "I thought she suggested she wasn't as much like you?"

"Weiss, my dear," Yang laughed, "that had _nothing_ to do with our mothers, and _everything_ to do with dad."

"Your _family_ is going to be the death of me," Weiss groused.

"And just think, if your relationship goes well, you'll have to meet them some day." The blonde snickered.

Weiss just groaned.

* * *

Second qualifying went even better. Her sense of feel extended throughout the car and she manipulated it liker her own body, sending it through turns and around corners at will. This time it took them four laps to get a time they were satisfied with, One twenty-three four-nine-six, but half of the remaining field were still posting one twenty-fours. Even where she was, she'd probably end up in Q3 and that meant starting ten.

Her pit was abuzz when she arrived. This time she remained in her car, and Yang brought her water. Ruby followed along, asking Weiss a couple of questions about her shift timing. Weiss was puzzled, but put it aside for the moment. When time came for Q3, she was back on the track. This time she didn't manage to put out a much improved time, but a one twenty-three three-seven-one was enough to slot her in seventh place.

The team went wild when she arrived back. She allowed Yang to haul her up and onto the blonde's broad shoulders. It was just qualifying, they weren't even at pole position, but after their lackluster start with zero movement from the lower end of Q1, just getting to Q3 was enough. Surprisingly, Yang saw Müller lift Ruby up in a similar manner, immediately joined by most of the engine crew who hooted and hollered.

For a few minutes they simply celebrated, before Blake inserted herself in the middle of it all. "Now look, I understand everyone's very happy. And with good reason, this is our first chance to put some points on the board for the driver's championship and start making the other teams out there give us our due respect."

A call of "here, here!" rang out from someone in the crowd and the team roared in response. The black-haired woman smiled, and waited for them to calm down again. "We're in the last sprint for Barcelona. We'll be doing three four-hour shifts in standard order from here til the morning to make certain that everything's working fine for our best shot this season. After that, get the sleep you need. I expect everyone to be one hundred percent alert and ready for the race. I don't want anything missed."

Someone at the front of the crowd saluted sloppily. Weiss saw Ruby wince. "Yes ma'am!"

"Good. Let's get to work, then, and finish this grand prix stronger than ever." She clapped.

Almost immediately, Ruby was gently lowered to the ground as the teams split off to handle their jobs, with several members going off to find food or rest before their shift started.

Yang, however, kept Weiss propped up.

Ruby wandered over, now looking more like the girl Weiss had first seen, a bit shy and uncertain. But the gleam in her eye as she looked up at Weiss told her that the tease was there as well. "So this is what it's like to be you, hm?"

Weiss was uncertain what she meant for a moment. Then, the driver's brow twitched. "Did you just make a short joke, Ruby Rose?"

"I see," Ruby nodded sagely, "now that you're all the way up there they don't go over your head anymore."

Yang guffawed, Weiss glared. "Oooh, Yang let me down. I need to beat your sister to a pulp."

"I dunno Weiss, she got you pretty good there." Yang was still laughing. "Maybe you ought to be the bigger person for once and let it go."

That was so groan-worthy that even Weiss lost it and started laughing. "All right, let me down you oaf."

"Is my sister safe from your fury?" Yang grinned, already grabbing Weiss's hips and lifting.

"I _suppose_ ," Weiss said in a long-suffering tone.

"Don't feel too bad, Weiss," Ruby offered with a smirk, "I like my women petite."

Weiss walked forward and grabbed the collar of Ruby's shirt, pulling the girl down. Their faces were maybe an inch apart, and Weiss's breath ghosting over Ruby's lips caused the girl to close her eyes instinctually. Weiss smirked and held her there for a moment, before reaching up with her free hand and flicking Ruby's forehead. The girl winced and backed away. "Dolt."

"Ah! Power harassment! Yang!" Ruby flailed.

"Not getting near this one. You solve your boss-girlfriend problems yourself." Yang raised her hands.

They were silent for a moment, before Ruby spoke up. "Um, that…whole thing isn't going to cause an issue is it? If it lasts, and if I get on the team when I graduate?"

"You'll be educated and the team will have seen you in action for a couple of years at that point. I won't have you at the head when you fully sign on, but by then I think the only complaints about nepotism will be coming from outside the team rather than inside." Weiss brushed a few strands of hair behind her ear. "We use that kind of attention as locker room board material here."

Ruby exhaled. "Good. I, um, still don't really know how to react to this whole Zwickau thing, but I spent the morning googling it and it seems like a pretty good school. You really think you can get me in?"

Weiss shook her head. "I think _you_ can get you in. But I can get you the opportunity to show your stuff. We have a couple of alumni on our team, since Schnee Automotive is based in Zurich."

Ruby brightened a bit at that. "Okay, sounds good. Um, I'm gonna go, I'm still kinda tired from pulling that all-nighter and all of the excitement of the day. I'll see you both tomorrow?"

"I'll come with. We'll have some sister time before you go to bed. Room service splurge sound good?" Yang asked.

" _Yes_ ," Ruby said, "that sounds great."

Weiss's expression faltered. Ruby turned to her. "Weiss? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." The heiress said. It rang hollow in her ears. "Just thinking about tomorrow. You two go on, I can handle my cooldown routine and then try to get some quality sleep before tomorrow."

"You can join us, Weiss." Yang said. "Ruby won't be up late anyways, so there's no concern."

"No, no, I wouldn't want to intrude." Weiss said. "I'll see you both later." She turned and started walking. She heard Ruby call her, once, but she didn't turn back.

 _Damn._

* * *

It was 10:24 and she had nearly managed to trick her body into going to sleep when her phone beeped, signaling a new text message. She swore and sat up. "Who the fuck is texting me at this time of night?"

The sheets fell from her naked chest as she reached for the night table, fumbled with her phone, and saw Yang's name. _Xiao Long?_ What was her trainer doing trying to get in touch with her at a time like this? But then she looked at the text.

 _hi this is rby wanted to make sure youre okay  
ruby*_

Weiss couldn't help the smile. With a few quick motions she unlocked her phone and laid down, lazily tapping away her response.

 _I'm fine. Was about to fall asleep until you texted me._

Ruby's response was rapidfire. There was a horror emoji, and Weiss snorted.

 _sorry for waking you. you left weird earlier, just wanted to make sure we didnt make you mad_

This time it took her a few revisions to pin down her response.

 _You didn't wake me, so don't worry about it. And I wasn't mad. It's a long story._

Almost instantly she saw Ruby begin to respond. It was interesting seeing such an immediate response.

 _im a patient girl when i want to be. if you need to talk, im here_

She smiled again, feeling a warmth in the pit of her stomach. Those were words she rarely heard or saw, let alone believed. But she had never seen a hint of deception in Ruby's eyes. Was it okay to trust her?

 _Not right now, and certainly not by phone or text. Maybe after the season's over. Go to bed, Ruby._

She let her arm flop down and stared up at the ceiling. After a moment, her phone buzzed again. She tilted her phone to check it.

 _all right. nn Weiss_

The heiress put her phone back on the nightstand, and closed her eyes.

* * *

Sunday morning went fine until Whitley showed up.

An unwritten part of Yang's job was serving as a sports psychologist. Weiss had a dedicated sports psychologist in Switzerland that she saw once a week during the season, but that psychologist had other patients, and so could not travel the world over to be with Weiss like Yang could. Yang was not, technically speaking, licensed to practice, as she was still in school using the season and job as work experience while completing the lion's share of her classes online. As a result, this was kept between those who needed to know.

Yang knew how to get under Weiss's skin and motivate her. It was a trait that Weiss valued the blonde for. She always knew how to put Weiss in the right mindset she needed to be in for the races. It was how they'd managed to overcome all of their opposition at lower levels of competition, and it was serving them well in Formula 1 when everything else seemed to be crumbling.

There was, however, one other person who could get under her skin and kill her interest in anything and everything. And that was Whitley Schnee.

"So this is what you're wasting company money on." He said as he walked into their pit area. Last-minute checks were being run on everything, and Weiss was watching it all happen, half-dressed in her driver's uniform with a white tank-top. She zeroed in on his voice instantly, and it was twenty years of education that kept her façade from crumbling. "I must admit, I'm impressed. I'd heard reports on Friday that you were having engine trouble, yet here you are starting at number seven."

Weiss stood stiffly. "What do you want, Whitley?"

" _Want_? Why, my dear sister," he stressed each word, "I'm just here to extend my well-wishes. And my condolences."

"Your condolences?" Weiss frowned.

"Well, it seemed that someone suggested that the only value in this little farce of yours was advertising via the constructor's cup, and with Schnee Automotive only having a single racer, well, that won't happen. And the only other way you'll see real headlines is making podiums for the driver's championship, and we both know you're a ways away from that stage, especially with no top-10s in the first four races. With no results to show father, you think he'll accept the massive drain that maintaining this team requires?"

She couldn't help it. She snarled, clenching her fists. "You little fucker. Do you really want to mess with me that badly?"

"Such uncouth language from a Schnee." Whitley sighed and shrugged. "I knew you wouldn't be happy. But to answer your question," his gaze sharpened, and he scowled, "yes, I do. You're the heiress to Schnee Automotive and here you are gallivanting around the world playing race cars while _I_ stay in Zurich helping father maintain everything our family has built. You're spending millions of our dollars on a _hobby_ , producing _laughable_ results, while I have to attend board meetings day in and day out. So yes, I will take every opportunity I have to destroy your little fantasy world.

"When the season's over, father will tighten your leash the way he has mine. Winter may have gotten out fine, but I will be damned if I'm going to suffer alone. And if you won't suffer with me, I will destroy you."

Weiss couldn't help it. She snorted. "Destroy me how?"

"Our shareholders haven't been terribly supportive of your antics. They haven't spoken out _too_ much since the positive press we've received from your lower circuit victories has pushed our publicity and products more. But your start in Formula 1 has caused waves. They're not happy." He shrugged again, his expression easing. "It's time you wake up, Weiss. Stop dreaming about all of this. Stop dreaming about _her_ , and get back to your actual job."

"Get the fuck out, Whitley." Weiss growled. "If you want to leave unassisted."

Whitley sighed. "You're really not making this any easier on yourself, Weiss."

"Weiss, who's this?"

Both siblings' heads snapped to the new voice. Ruby stood there, slowly withering under the twin glares. She was back to the style she'd favored on Friday, a tight, short t-shirt, this one more pink than red, and a pair of simple but fashionable blue jeans. Weiss would have appreciated the look if she weren't so angry, but Whitley was under no compunction to behave himself.

"My, my. Another of my sister's conquests." His eyes roamed her body. "I must say, dear sister, you have exquisite taste."

"Get. The fuck. Out." Weiss ground out. Ruby quailed, and started to leave, but Weiss shook her head shortly, her gaze re-centering on Whitley. "Or I will have my trainer throw you out."

"The blonde? Oh my, how scary." Whitley deadpanned. "I'll be going. Just remember. You've got no chance, and in a few months all of this will be gone." He huffed a laugh. "Especially with this garbage car and garbage engine. You really think you can beat Winter, even _once_ , all season? Please."

"This engine has the potential to be better than anything else on the track," Ruby cut in, her jaw set.

"Potential is a word the useless invented to make themselves feel better. Results are what matter in the real world, Private First Class Rose."

Ruby stiffened unnaturally.

"Yes. It didn't take much time to find out all about you. The wunderkind that appeared at _just_ the right time. Suspicious, don't you think, to suddenly develop that trouble and then suddenly have someone on-hand with the ability to fix it?"

"I would _never_ ," Ruby choked out.

"Of course not. Nobody would ever," Whitley sneered, "unless they were trying to take advantage. Maybe get access to the Schnee money? A nice cushy job? After all, my sister isn't exactly closeted."

He watched as Ruby stalked toward him. They stood face to face for a moment, before Ruby stepped back. Whitley scoffed.

Ruby struck his jaw with an open palm blow. Weiss could hear the distinctive 'pop' of a bone breaking.

Whitley hit the ground, making noises of pain. The crew had stopped to watch, but at Weiss's icy glare, they turned back immediately to the work at hand.

"You bitch," Whitley struggled, his hands pressed to his jaw. "You will never work again! No one will hire you!"

Ruby simply stared at him dispassionately. "You should go get that looked at." She knelt down, a small smile playing over her face as Whitley flinched away from her. "And you won't have a leg to stand on when Weiss makes the podium."

He sneered, and winced. "Like that'll happen."

"Oh, it'll happen. Just you watch."

"That won't save you from me." He sneered.

Ruby stood up. "I don't think you'll have much luck. It's your word against mine, and Weiss's."

"And everyone here who saw you strike me." He managed.

"Did anyone here see Miss Rose raise a hand against Mister Schnee?" Weiss called out to the crew. The techs looked among each other, but nobody raised a hand. This time she approached Whitley and knelt near him. "See, your problem, Whitley, is that you assume that anything that has the Schnee name on it is your territory. But I'm a Schnee too, and this is _my_ house. You chose to start shit, and Miss Rose ended it. I told you to get out, you didn't listen. Now your jaw is broken. Take that hint, and _get the fuck out._ "

He scrambled to his feet, spitting them with one last glare, and then stumbled out, groaning.

"I am so sorry," Ruby said at once, turning to Weiss. The heiress simply held up her hand.

For a moment, they were silent, and then Weiss finally sighed. "Don't worry about it. It wasn't the first time Whitley got hurt talking shit where he wasn't welcome. Granted, it's never been done by someone employed by the Schnee, but I can handle father when he calls."

"Still," Ruby started, but then her voice softened. "You don't…you don't believe what he said, right?"

"Of course not," Weiss's shoulders slumped, "but he's not wrong about how it looks to the board, and to father, and to people outside. We have sixteen races to make up enough points to put me on the podium, now." She pressed her hands to her face. "Otherwise all of this goes up in flames."

Ruby reached out slowly, hesitantly, and then her arm fell short. "Weiss…"

"Please go get Yang." Weiss said, shuddering.

"Is there anything _I_ can-" Ruby tried.

"Yang." Weiss interrupted. "I have two hours to get myself ready to win this race. I can't do that without her."

Ruby stared at her, and she stared back. After a moment, the dark-haired girl nodded. "All right. I'll go get Yang."

Weiss nodded gratefully. The girl ran off, Weiss watched her go. "Fuck," she whispered, "why couldn't it be that easy between the three of us?"

* * *

When Weiss finished fifth, having put up a serious fight to keep people off of her in turn 10 as Blake had advised, as well as making a series of daring overtakes on successive laps in turn 1, she didn't know how to react. The first thing she did when she was out of the car was give Yang a tearful hug for bringing her back to a competitive mindset. Her trainer, equally moved, responded with an enormous hug of her own.

Then it was thanking the teams for their hard work. Everyone was excited; the first points of the season, and ten of them at that! They still had a ways to go and third place in the driver's championship was a long ways off – sixty-five points at current, which meant Weiss needed to start making up points and fast – but for the moment she simply forgot the imminent pressure and made sure that her crew knew they had her full support and confidence.

When everything died down and the crews got to work, led by Müller and Blake, breaking everything down and getting ready to move equipment and vehicles back to their testing grounds before they headed out to Monaco, Weiss finally found a moment to speak to Ruby.

She looked torn. Her pride in Weiss was obvious, which felt quite nice, but her eyes were red and she seemed uncertain of whether to approach. So Weiss decided for her.

She didn't try to be overly physical with the younger woman when she rested her back against the wall next to Ruby, but the lack of space between them spoke volumes. For several minutes, neither of them said anything, though Weiss caught Ruby looking over at her several times.

"I'm sorry, for earlier." Ruby finally said. Her shoulders hiked a bit and she seemed to shrink as she apologized. "I just made everything so much worse for you."

"You're apologizing for popping Whitley in the face?" Weiss snorted. "If he hadn't made me furious by that point I would have been laughing."

Ruby looked at her then, confused. "You're not mad that I broke your brother's jaw?"

"Whitley and I…well, the three of us, honestly, were never particularly close. It goes back to what I told you last night. Long story as short as I can manage it, none of us are particularly close to one another. Whitley's just the one who has the position to be obnoxious about it." She scowled. "So no, I'm not mad about you breaking his jaw. Nor am I particularly mad about you sticking up for me. I had to podium for this to survive anyways, now I just have another reason for it, which is shoving Whitley's shitty little face in it."

"Oh…okay." Ruby didn't look like she understood it at all, and Weiss couldn't blame her. She doubted many people would understand the Schnee siblings' relationships. But she reached out and took the dark-haired woman's hand in hers, causing Ruby to start for a moment before she laced her fingers between Weiss's. Weiss squeezed, Ruby squeezed back.

They stood against the wall for a while, Weiss had no idea how much time had passed. But finally she said, "I need to go shower before our date."

"You really do." Ruby replied.

Weiss twisted her face in mock-outrage. "You dare suggest I smell anything other than perfect?"

Ruby turned a look on her and Weiss lost all coherence. "No," Ruby whispered, the husk back in her voice, "I think you're perfect right now, but other people at a restaurant might not agree."

"Uh huh," Weiss agreed. Her knees felt like jelly. How the fuck could this girl do this to her with just her eyes and a single sentence?

"So go shower, and then show me a night on the town proper, hm?"

"Okay," she said, swallowing past a rush of saliva. "I'll uh, I'll call you when I'm ready." She pushed off of the wall.

And jumped when Ruby swatted her ass. "I'll be waiting."

 _It's a good thing she volunteered to drive_ , Weiss thought, _because right now I'd probably kill us both._

* * *

Weiss hadn't really planned to go to an upscale place, which worked out well given that Ruby didn't seem to have any interest in dressing up. She _had_ applied a bit of makeup, most notably a touch of rouge that kept pulling Weiss's eyes down to her lips like a magnet. And judging by the satisfied smirk, she knew the effect she was having.

But Weiss hadn't really known exactly where she wanted to go. She knew Barcelona well, a number of high class restaurants and a number of delicious hole-in-the-wall joints. And her own outfit, a simple but well-designed short gray dress with spaghetti straps and a set of wedges, was more geared toward the latter but could have easily passed in the former.

It was, more than anything, Ruby's car that decided her. She hadn't known what to expect. She herself drove a stock Civic, but that was largely because she got enough driving thrill on the raceway. Knowing what she did about Ruby, she could guess anywhere from import muscle to a heavily tuned ricer. She was not expecting a Focus RS. And she said as much as she slid into the car.

"She's my baby. I call her Crescent Rose. She's the perfect blend of functionality and performance." Ruby grinned. "What were you thinking?"

"I didn't know, honestly. I wasn't sure if you were going to come in some roided out '70 Charger R/T, or an Evo Nine with more money under the hood than you paid for the whole car." Weiss shrugged. "Given that you're so in touch with engines, I just kinda expected something…not stock?"

Ruby tapped her painted lips with her index finger, drawing Weiss's attention back to them, before she smirked. "Half credit, Miss Schnee. This is _my_ car – got it when I left active service. But the car I drove from fourteen on was a Corolla stuffed to the gills to create a dragon in sheep's clothing."

Weiss looked horrified. " _No._ "

Ruby didn't last a second, laughing. "Oh god no, mom would never have condoned doing that to a poor Corolla. No, I drove an RX-7 FD with some work to keep the engine from blowing itself up."

"Must have been some work. I've heard stories of how hot those can run, and that it leaks into the car."

"A little." Ruby nodded. "But as you may have noted, I like my girls a bit hot."

Weiss swatted her shoulder. "Behave, you."

Ruby grinned. "As ordered. Where am I going?"

Weiss directed her, and they were off into the warm Barcelona night. The restaurant Weiss directed her to was a small, nice place decorated in race apparel, everything from MotoGP to NASCAR to Formula D. Ruby looked around in awe as she entered, while Weiss was intercepted by the staff, people she knew from her previous visits, who congratulated her on her finish. She thanked them graciously and then led Ruby to a booth.

"Trying to use your star power to wow little old me?" Ruby grinned. "I think I might swoon."

Weiss laughed. "Yes, I brought you here to witness people congratulating me over a fifth place finish. When I reach my first podium, maybe I'll treat you to fast food."

The young woman chuckled, and brushed her hair aside. "I look forward to it."

Silence reigned afterward. They placed their orders when their waitress came around. Finally, Weiss broke it. "So, the elephant in the room is something I'll have to talk about anyways. Tell me about yourself. All I have is stuff I've heard from Yang, and a couple of hours with you."

"Knowing Yang, you could write an in-depth psychoanalysis of me and have it be quite accurate." Ruby replied drily. "I love my sister, I do, but sometimes I wonder if she has an obsession with me."

"She's just concerned. I…guess that's how older siblings are."

Ruby frowned as Weiss seemed to draw in on herself. She reached across the table and took one of Weiss's hands into hers, causing the heiress to start before smiling. "Well, let's see. I told you that I started working on engines when I was four. I technically had a 'job' by the time I was eight, working on anything from Chevys to Ferraris. The upside of having a dad who is well known in Valencia and a mom who came very well-recommended in car circles, I guess.

"After that, there wasn't much. School here and there, though my last two years I finished abroad. Then I was in the military."

"I feel like you skipped quite a bit there." Weiss pointed out.

"That's just boring details." Ruby hedged. When Weiss's brow rose, she sighed. "Okay, fine. So I did a lot of street racing. When I came out as bi, my parents were fine with it. After Yang, I think they even expected it. Dad said something like, 'The Xiao Long genes win again.'" She snorted. "You'll love him when you meet him. Just don't fall in love with him. He has that affect."

Weiss gave her a dubious look. "You sound like you're speaking from experience."

Ruby's shoulders slumped. "Two different girls who started flirting with dad while I was _right there_."

Weiss laughed, even though she felt for her. "If it makes you feel any better, you're the first person I've had real eyes for in a while. I don't think you have to worry about your dad stealing me away from you."

Ruby snickered, looking back up. "I'll hold you to that, Weiss."

"So…the army? Spanish?"

"American." Ruby shrugged at Weiss's confused look. "Our family is kinda weird. Dad's Spanish through naturalization – he started working in Valencia after he graduated from college, and when he realized he wasn't moving he just made it a thing when he married Yang's mom. Mom's American, but she met dad and fell in love and stayed in Valencia. Yang's mom was Spanish, so she's only got Spanish citizenship, but I have both. When I went to the States to finish out my education, I stayed with her cousins. After school, I decided to join up."

"Why?" Weiss tilted her head. Yang had wanted to know, but Weiss wasn't really asking for her. She was genuinely curious.

Ruby tapped her index finger and thumb rhythmically on the table for a minute. She stared down, and just as Weiss opened her mouth to apologize for asking, Ruby started talking. "I wanted something of my own." She said. Weiss closed her mouth. "I…I know that I had a really good childhood. I had a family that loved me for me, I had friends and hobbies and romances. But at some point it felt like it was on a track. Yang was going to college, they expected me to go. And it's not that I didn't want to, I just…I didn't want to be mom's Yang."

She snorted, raising her free hand to wipe at her eyes. "It was stupid, looking back on it. Completely pointless teenage rebellion. But I thought, if I could make it…then I'd prove that I could make my own way."

Weiss squeezed Ruby's hand, and though the other woman didn't look up, she nodded.

"I didn't though. I ended four years of service at E-3. I should have ended at E-4. Passed over for promotion, repeatedly."

 _Results are what matter in the real world_ , Weiss recalled Whitley saying. "Why?"

"'A general disregard for authority', I believe was how it was written up. I was engineering corps, and had specific ideas on how to improve performance in our on-base fleet that were…unorthodox. Brass wouldn't hear it. I got a bit short."

"Is that why you got put on…IRR, I think Yang called it?"

"Yeah, I think after my contractual obligations were done _I_ was done." She sniffed. "Four years, and all I have to show for it is ID, a uniform, and an obligation to call to dodge musters until my eight years are up."

Weiss frowned, but didn't really know what to say.

"And then I came back home for a few months. Yang invited me out to see her at the grand prix, and now I have a job, entirely because of her." She shook her head. "I'm nothing without my family, and it drives me crazy."

Weiss lost her breath. _Nothing without my family._ She turned away, letting go of Ruby's hand. _Nothing._ She closed her eyes.

"Weiss?" She jolted in her seat. Ruby was now kneeling in front of her. The woman put a hand on her knee. "Are you okay?"

She forced her throat to swallow, to prove her throat was working. _Fuck._ "I'm fine," she said, a bit raspy. She cleared her throat and tried again. "I'm fine."

Ruby's look was anything but accepting of that answer, but she nodded. She took Weiss's hand back in hers and went back to her side of the table. "Do you…?"

Weiss exhaled shakily. "Well, we've already started down this road. There's…really not that much to it. There are three of us. My older sister Winter works R&D on the Mercedes team. Whitley is being groomed to take a top management position, and when father retires, I will become CEO. So in between all of the races, I have a lot of studying, and during the off-season I'm working my ass off on reports."

"Off-season? When you were talking earlier-"

"They don't _need_ me there 24/7 while father is still there. I have some leeway for a while yet. And like I said, Zwickau and Zurich aren't so far apart that I couldn't get there quickly in the event that they needed me." She waved a hand. "We're getting off-point. The _point_ is, I, the middle child, am the heiress."

She stared at Ruby, who seemed to have taken that statement as a matter-of-fact. It took a few moments for her to open her mouth.

"Wait, why you and not Winter?"

" _Thank you_ ," Weiss said, throwing her free hand into the air. "Winter…Winter's ten years older than me. About twelve years ago, she finished her degree and told father she was never going to work for Schnee Automotive." She started to chew her lip. "She had already moved out of the house. He was furious. And then he told me that it was my responsibility now."

"That's…a lot of weight for a child." Ruby said softly.

"I was twelve," Weiss laughed weakly, "and being told that suddenly I was responsible for something that, up until three hours earlier, had been my sister's job. And he made certain that I never had the chance to consider any alternative."

"That was pretty selfish of her," Ruby murmured.

Weiss shrugged. "It was, but being in her shoes, I understand it. All of that weight on your shoulders. And she was smart about it too. She used dad's name right up until she was set, and then she cut her ties. Father made sure I would never be able to do that. Everything that I am, is because of Schnee Automotive." Ruby shook her head, but Weiss continued. "Cars...I love cars, Ruby. I love racing. And F1. I couldn't do that without Schnee. Maybe now I could, but I'm beholden to Schnee in other ways. My team. I can't leave."

"Weiss," Ruby started, but stopped. Weiss smiled sadly. There was nothing Ruby really could say about that.

"It's fine. I've just kind of accepted it. Whitley hasn't though. He wants the company for himself. Father knows how badly he wants it. Half the time, I just want to tell father to fuck off and let the little shit have the company so he can run it into the ground. But father would never allow it. Whitley doesn't have the strategic mindset to run a company like Schnee Automotive."

"What can you tell me about Whitley?"

"Other than that he's the worst thing to ever slide out of a vagina in human history?"

Ruby spluttered.

Weiss snickered. "He was a C-section kid anyways, because of course he was. Everything has to be a production when Whitley's involved. He's three years younger than me but you'd never be able to tell that he left his teenage 'I know better than you' phase. It's a shame, he was kind of cute when he was…five." She shrugged. "He bought into father's bullshit about Schnee superiority wholesale, and believes he's the chosen son. After so long I just stopped giving him the time of day."

Ruby sighed and squeezed her hand. "I wish I could do something."

"You being here does something." Weiss said. "And Yang, despite how much I want to strangle her at times." Ruby giggled. "And Blake, and Luca, and the team. When I'm here, I'm free to be me in a way that I'm not allowed to at home."

"Is that another reason you suggested you were fine living in Zwickau?"

The heiress grinned. "Oh, that's more to do with the fact that if this works out I want to be able to fuck you any time I want."

Ruby blinked, before that familiar gleam entered her eye. "You know, I'm sure that you're used to girls just letting you do whatever you want, but dad taught Yang and I one very important lesson. 'Xiao Longs always come out on top.'"

Weiss shuddered pleasantly. "You know, normally I'm the one being aggressive. You coming at me like this? Huuuge turn-on."

This time, the dark-haired girl's smile turned downright wicked. "And just think. I haven't even begun."

* * *

Nine weeks later, Weiss made her first podium, splitting the Mercedes racers down the middle, having managed to eke out a second-place finish at Silverstone. Her meteoric ascent through the ranks over the past six races, never finishing out of the top five while her competitors occasionally floundered, was beginning to cause waves. She was only five points out of fourth place, which meant that if she managed to secure another podium finish in Hungary she would probably come out ahead, ready to hunt for third.

Her team went wild in celebration. Weiss took Ruby to her absolute favorite place in all of London, a small family-run pub, to commemorate the occasion. And the absolutely salacious things Ruby was whispering into her ear, a buzzed grin on her lips, promised an even better night to come.

How she managed to sound so filthy without swearing once was something Weiss still had yet to figure out.

The buzzing of the pub crowd suddenly picked up, causing both of them to turn.

Weiss felt the blood drain from her face as she stared at two Mercedes drivers and her sister.

"What a coincidence," Ruby chuckled, "maybe you two aren't as different as you think."

This was no coincidence. Weiss knew it as soon as she met her sister's eyes.

"Yeah," she whispered back bitterly, "what are the odds." She turned back, avoiding Ruby's concerned look.

A good twenty seconds later, she heard Winter's voice next to her. "Get a round for the pub, on us, and get a tab running. We're here to celebrate and mourn."

"Mourn?" The bartender, a girthy man in his mid-sixties, looked at her funny. "You finished first and third, what are you mourning?"

"The loss of second," Winter replied. "But we'll make sure it doesn't happen again."

The bartender looked at Winter, and Weiss, and wisely decided to just go about his business.

Weiss glared at her half-empty pint like it had committed murder. "Hello Winter."

"Weiss." Winter said, finally taking a seat. "What a surprise to see you here."

"Cut the bullshit," Weiss hissed, turning to her. "What are the odds we'd run into each other here? _Nonexistent._ You came here on purpose, because you knew I'd be here."

Winter looked at her, before the hint of a smile passed over her face. "I didn't _know_ you'd be here, but I guessed."

"Then _why_ are you here?"

"The boys wanted to learn a bit more about this new competitor. I figured it'd be nice to speak to my sister again."

Weiss's eyes widened, but then narrowed. "That's a hell of a change. I do believe the last two words I heard from you were twelve years ago. 'I'm leaving', I think it was. I come in second, and suddenly you want to talk to me?"

Winter exhaled through her nose. "Weiss, I know our relationship isn't exactly the best-"

" _What_ relationship?" Weiss countered. "Even when you were around you never had time for me, and then you just walk out of my life for half of it, and come back. And what, you expect me to be _happy_?"

Winter scowled. "What do you want from me, Weiss? I refused to stay under father's thumb any longer than I had to. I had to cut all ties with him."

"The only thing I ever wanted, Winter, was for you to _be my sister_." Weiss took a moment and then finished her pint in one long drink. "Back when it mattered. Let's go, Ruby."

"Ah yes, Ruby Rose." Winter's voice evened out. "Daughter of Summer Rose, a well-known mechanic in Valencia. You hit our radar when you fixed Weiss's engine problems in a matter of hours."

"You don't get to talk to her," Weiss turned on her, but Ruby's hand on her shoulder stayed her.

"Mercedes is aware that Schnee Automotive has provided an opportunity for you to interview to study at Zwickau." Winter continued on as if she hadn't been interrupted. "We'd like to offer you a test. If you pass, you'd get a one-year accelerated program and, if your skill holds up, you'd be on our team by the end of it."

Weiss's face turned an unflattering shade of red.

"So you're offering me a job at Mercedes, pending a test?" Ruby said. Her voice was as even as Winter's. Weiss felt her heart start to pound.

"A test I'm sure you'd pass with flying colors, if you're half as capable as your mother." Winter replied. "We would also request that you terminate your relationship with Weiss." That nearly sent Weiss apoplectic. "For obvious reasons. But we're willing to pay what you're worth on a winning team. It'll far outstrip anything you could make at Schnee, and you'll have earned every cent of it yourself."

Weiss stilled.

"You've done your research," Ruby murmured. The heiress closed her eyes, half-preparing herself for heartbreak. "Or well, you did half of it."

"Half?" Winter raised a brow.

"Half." Ruby confirmed. "You talked about my mom, but you didn't mention my sister. Or my dad." She leaned forward and rested her chin on Weiss's shoulder, arms around the woman's waist. Weiss opened her eyes and saw Winter's nose crinkle. "I'm not going to walk out on my sister to join your company for a quick buck, and I don't know if you know anything about the Xiao Longs, but we don't take well to people telling us how to manage our private affairs."

Color came to Winter's face, a flush of embarrassment and anger. "Very well," she said stiffly, "but there will be no second offer when Schnee Automotive crumbles under the stress of Formula 1. It's a sport, not a _hobby_."

"That says an awful lot about your second driver if he lost to someone who's supposed to be a hobbyist," Ruby replied steadily. Weiss wanted to kiss her. "I suggest you consider whether insulting your competition when they've gained points on you is the wisest idea."

"Let's go, Ruby." Weiss said again. She felt Ruby nod, and then her presence was suddenly, painfully gone, before a warm hand slipped into hers. She turned her gaze on Winter, who was looking at them with disdain.

"You're just going to leave like that? Let some floozy you've known for a few months insult me and go about your life?"

"You taught me two valuable lessons when you left, Winter. One, family's who _you_ choose it to be." Weiss shrugged. "And right now, Ruby's far more family than you ever were. And two, that walking away is a Schnee family tradition. You saddled me with your responsibilities when you left. I'm saddling you with the consequences of that decision."

She nodded to the bartender, who was looking decidedly uncomfortable. "You can bill us on the card. Thirty percent tip is fine. Sorry for…all of this." He shook his head.

"Weiss," Winter ground out, but Weiss interrupted her.

"I assume that if you contact me from now on, it will be as a member of the Mercedes team," she said coldly. In the silence that followed she nudged Ruby, who led her out into the London night.

They walked a few blocks in silence, before Ruby broke it. "So, when you said I was family, I really hope you weren't talking about me being a sister or that brings a whole lot of what we've done into question."

Weiss blinked, and then choked and gave her girlfriend a shove. "Ew!" She laughed. "Ruby you're fucking gross." Ruby's comforting smile was enough to bleed the tension from her shoulders. "I meant it, though. Not like, as a sister or anything though. Someone unrelated."

"Weiss, the only two options for unrelated family are stepsiblings and spouses." Ruby's eyes glittered under the streetlight.

Weiss choked again. "W-what?"

Ruby fluttered her eyelashes. "Don't tell me that you're thinking about that kind of thing two months into dating me, Weiss."

"I-You-" Weiss sighed. "There's no good answer here, is there?"

"Aw, you chose not to play." Ruby bumped her hip. "Relax, Weiss. We'll go at your pace."

"My pace?" Weiss gave her a surprised look. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Ruby didn't answer for a minute. Color dusted her cheeks, and she studiously looked anywhere but at Weiss as she started. "It means that I was infatuated with you the moment I saw you getting out of that car for the first time, and that I…" Now she looked clear away. "That I fell in love with you by the end of our second date."

Weiss stood stock still. "Love…?" She whispered.

"N-not that I expect you to love me right now!" Ruby waved her hands hurriedly. "Or, like, ever really! I just kinda was floored by how you were never anything like I expected but you were really kind and a lot of fun and _really_ good in bed and-" She slapped her hands over her mouth with a squeak. Her face was scarlet and tears were gathering in the corners of her eyes, and then she turned away.

After a moment, Weiss walked over and wrapped her arms around Ruby's waist, pulling the taller girl into her. She lamented that she couldn't do as Ruby had done earlier, but instead buried her face into her girlfriend's back. "Thanks," she said at last.

She heard Ruby sniff. "I didn't really know when would be a good idea to say anything."

"Yeah. I'm, um, sorry that I don't have anything to say to that right now."

"Don't apologize for being you," Ruby said fiercely. "I didn't fall in love with you because I expected you to do so just as quickly. That's who I am."

"And I wouldn't want you any other way." Weiss sighed into Ruby's back, gently rocking them both. "I'm sorry about Winter. I don't really like my family, and now I'm terrified that when you meet my father that'll be the last straw."

"I'm here for you," Ruby replied. "I don't give a darn whether the rest of your family likes me or don't." Weiss snorted. "I'm serious though. I don't care. The only Schnee whose opinion matters to me is you."

"You've never met Jacques Schnee."

"You've never met Taiyang Xiao Long and Summer Rose." Ruby replied. "And I think maybe it's time we fixed that. Take this week off and come with me and Yang to Valencia."

Weiss took a moment to recompose herself and check her schedule. "You know, that might be doable."

"Then do it. I want to show off my amazing girlfriend to my parents."

Weiss felt a bit of heat in her cheeks at Ruby's praise. "You really think it'll go well?"

Ruby turned in Weiss's embrace, throwing her arms around the shorter girl's shoulders and pulling her in so their foreheads were touching. "Weiss, they'll love you."

* * *

The Xiao Long home in Valencia was rather understated for the kind of clientele that Taiyang Xiao Long and Summer Rose worked with. It wasn't _bad_ , and certainly had a much homier feeling than the villas that Weiss was familiar with, it just gave off a different feeling. Stealth wealth, perhaps?

She was nervous as she pulled her suitcase along behind her. Ruby had gone back a day earlier, since Weiss needed to get a few odds and ends from home before she took her little vacation, and she almost felt like she was encroaching on sacred ground. Listening to Ruby and Yang talk about their family life and their parents, she had come to expect something wildly different from her own upbringing, something that excited and _terrified_ her.

She spent a good minute staring at the door, her hand half-raised to knock. She was torn. Ruby had expressly invited her, and she _knew_ she would have a good time if she knocked. But all the same, she was an outsider. She didn't belong. She didn't _deserve-_

The door opened, revealing a broad-shouldered, tanned man with blond hair. Even having never seen pictures of him before, Weiss knew instantly that this had to be Taiyang Xiao Long.

"Come in already! Ruby's been spazzing out since she saw your cab pull in." He offered a grin and then _pulled_ her into the house, eliciting a squeal from her as she attempted to regain her balance. "Sorry about that, but between my daughter's nerves and _your_ nerves I was going to go insane. Taiyang Xiao Long." He offered his hand.

"Um. Weiss Schnee." She grasped his. He offered her a smile, and suddenly Ruby's stories about girlfriends flirting with her father, and Yang's comments about Ruby's suaveness coming from their dad made all kinds of sense. "It's a pleasure."

"All mine, I assure you. So you're the girl that corrupted my innocent little Ruby, eh?"

Weiss's step hitched, but the twinkle in the man's eye gave her the confidence she needed as they entered the living room, where Ruby sat huddled in a chair, arms again wrapped around her shins, while Yang and the woman Weiss presumed was Summer Rose lounged on two ends of an l-sofa. "If Ruby was innocent when she came on to me, I can only imagine how debauched she is now."

Ruby looked horrified, but Yang and her father both snickered. The woman laughed, and though it sounded nothing alike Ruby, in an instant Weiss knew. It was the little things – the openness of the motion, the subtle movement of the hand just in case she felt the need to try and stifle it. She pushed herself up to her feet and made her way over to Weiss.

 _Wow_ , was the one thought running through Weiss's mind. Ruby had warned her about her dad, but given Weiss's proclivity to Ruby, perhaps she should have been warned about Summer. The woman didn't give off the aura of sheer sex that Ruby did when she put her mind to it, but there was an understated sensuality to every movement. Their hair styles were similar, though Summer lacked the red tips. Ruby took more after Taiyang in her facial structure, but those stunning silver eyes had obviously come from her mother. She tried to fight a shiver as Summer took her hand.

"Summer Rose. It's nice to finally meet the woman that little Ruby has been obsessing about for the past two months." She turned an arched brow back toward Ruby, who was trying her damndest to bury her face into her thighs. "For all she talks about you, you think she might have offered to have you over earlier than this."

"Mom," Ruby moaned, "can I just have my girlfriend over and _not_ be embarrassed about it the whole time?"

"Where's the fun in that?" Summer replied, a seemingly innocent smile on her face. "Though now that she is here, you really ought to greet her."

"Hi Weiss." Ruby said from between her legs.

"Aw, c'mon Rubes. That's not a proper greeting." Yang grinned.

"Shuddup, Yang." Ruby grumbled. Weiss gave her an expectant look, and when Ruby finally looked up at her, she froze.

"Well?" Weiss said. She was mostly playing along to tease her girlfriend.

"Um." Ruby articulated. Eventually, she pushed herself up off the chair, and shyly walked over to Weiss. "Hey." She said softly.

"Hey yourself," Weiss replied. Then she became aware of the expectant looks from the others in the room, and started to color. Ruby, apparently, noticed the same, as she went a deep red.

Taiyang's face was split into a broad, if not overwhelmingly mischievous, grin, and he wiggled his eyebrows as Weiss looked in his direction. No salvation there.

Finally, Ruby grabbed her head and pulled her into a kiss, and Weiss forgot about their audience. Ruby was a damn good kisser, all things considered, but for some reason this one just froze her world.

She was reminded of their audience a moment later when Summer mock-whistled. They broke apart in a hurry, both very red now, though Weiss had an irrepressible smile on her lips. She felt like she was going to die with how fast her heart was beating.

"Well, now that we've had a show, I suppose I can get started on dinner." Taiyang said. "Summer, will you entertain our guest?"

"Oh no," Yang said, "knowing those three it's going to be nothing but car talk. I can't. Dad, I'm gonna help."

Taiyang laughed. "Sure thing."

As the blondes left, Weiss dragged herself to the couch where Yang had been just a moment ago. She collapsed on it, near bonelessly, and was rewarded by Ruby plopping down next to her, throwing an arm around her shoulders.

"I suppose you're a bit tired, flying from England to Switzerland to Spain?" Summer said, now taking Ruby's seat in the chair to be a bit closer to the both of them. "You're sure there won't be any problems with you being out here?"

"I promised Ruby. Plus," she grimaced, pulling out a phone and glancing at it. Sixty-seven unread messages. "I have my work phone and laptop on the off-chance something happens that I need to be around for. Aside from keeping up on my training, which Yang will make sure of, and a bit of track prep before we go to practice, I've got nothing to worry about but spending time with my girlfriend and her family. Can you believe I've never had a proper vacation here? Every time I've been through Spain it's been on business, whether for Schnee Automotive or circuit racing."

"We'll have to remedy that, and you came to the best place for it." Summer smiled broadly. "So Ruby tells me you drive a regular Civic. Not a Type-R?"

"Ugh." Weiss grunted. "I love the bodywork on the Type-R and I bet it's a beast for what it is, but I already spend a lot of time driving fast and thinking about how to drive fast, sometimes I want to just enjoy a nice, relaxing, _comfortable_ drive."

"Oh dear." Summer hid a snicker behind her hand. "I'm afraid that outside of Yang's Prius you won't find much of that here."

"Ruby told me about her FD. I look forward to melting in summer heat and even worse engine heat."

"Oh yes, the FD. She'll definitely want to drive you around in that instead of the RS. Especially if she's planning to take you to _las carreras nocturnas_."

Weiss blinked. "The night races?"

"I mentioned I street raced a lot right?" Ruby said. "I…might have given you the mistaken impression that that was a thing I don't do anymore."

Something dawned on Weiss then. "So that was why you wanted me to bring that race queen outf-" Ruby shoved her hands over Weiss's mouth, but it was too late, Summer was guffawing.

"Oh no, I've learned way more about my daughter's sex life than I needed to know."

Ruby groaned and flopped down across Weiss's lap. "Kill me now."

Weiss, herself a bit embarrassed for accidentally revealing that tidbit of information, settled for patting her stomach. "Sorry."

"For her or for me?" Summer had calmed down. "My poor ears."

"I'll say both." Weiss smiled down at her girlfriend, who returned it.

"I'll head on out to the garage and get things ready for you to come show Weiss around, Ruby. Don't keep me waiting too long."

"Mooom," Ruby groaned again, "don't worry we won't be long."

Steady taps signaled Summer's retreat from the room. For a moment, Weiss and Ruby silently gazed at each other.

It was Ruby who broke it. "Thanks for coming, Weiss."

Weiss flushed. "I, um, I promised I'd come."

Ruby smiled and reached up to stroke her cheek. "I know. But still, thanks. It means a lot to me."

Weiss coughed, remembering her confession from a few nights ago, but managed a smile. "It's the least I could do for you, Ruby." She leaned over and Ruby pushed herself up on her elbows, and they met in a slow, passionate kiss.

"Better when my family isn't demanding it and watching," Ruby said when she pulled away. Weiss was willing to agree, she found herself wanting more, but the living room was hardly an appropriate place (at least while her family was anywhere near home) and Summer was waiting for them besides.

"You drive me crazy in the worst way," she whispered. "I really hope-"

"Ground floor, and far enough away that my parents won't hear." Ruby interrupted with an impish smile, the heat in her eyes matching the heat coiling in the pit of Weiss's stomach.

"Oh thank god." Weiss breathed.

"Though there are a couple of places I'd like to maybe go with you. I hear that Las Arenas is a great resort by the beach."

"Mm. I have yet to see you in a bathing suit, after all."

"Likewise, princess." Ruby looked her up and down. "I'm _very_ curious to know your style."

"Unflattering one-pieces," Weiss deadpanned immediately, before grinning. "I'll book it for the weekend, yeah?"

"Sounds good. That'll give us plenty of time here at home too."

"Yeah. It's…really different here. Compared to what I'm used to." Weiss looked around.

"Different bad?" Ruby's eyes shone with concern.

"No. Different is a good thing as far as I'm concerned. I just don't feel like I belong." Weiss shrugged.

Ruby pursed her lips, and then eventually got up. "All right, let's go meet mom and show you The Beast."

Weiss laughed. "You named your car?"

" _I_ didn't, no. Mom didn't either. The locals though? They all know that FD as The Beast."

Weiss couldn't help herself. "And why is that?"

Ruby grinned, and this time it was all sinister. "You'll see."

* * *

By the time her vacation in Valencia was almost over, Weiss found herself reluctant to leave but also, in many ways, relieved. The Xiao Long family had welcomed her with open arms. From the get-go, they had accepted her as part of their family, and that made Weiss uncertain, uncomfortable. That was not what families were like, as far as she knew. And she knew her family wasn't quite right, but that was _all she knew_.

The last day before they needed to report to Hungary for preparation, they opted for a slow and relaxing day lounging around the house. Summer had opted to close her shop early, while Taiyang worked from home more often than not, so all five of them were lazing about.

Eventually, though, Taiyang asked Weiss to speak with him out on the patio.

Weiss was a bit nervous. Had they been louder than expected last night? She knew Yang had been glaring at them all morning, rather obviously suffering a lack of sleep (Ruby's revenge for a prank Yang had pulled on them earlier in the week), but getting called out for loud sex by her girlfriend's father wasn't something she was eager to experience.

But there was no recrimination in his gaze, or even the usual teasing look he had for the three young women. Instead, he gestured to the chair next to him, facing away from the house toward Valencia proper. She sat down, her posture unnaturally stiff, but after a few minutes of amiable silence she relaxed a little.

"I don't know if it's my place to say this," Taiyang started slowly, "but I noticed that you seemed to have a hard time, every now and then, while here."

Weiss chewed her lip. "I don't mean any offense."

"None taken. I know that we can be a bit exuberant at times. But I don't want you to feel unwelcome in our house, especially if things keep going forward with you and Ruby."

"I don't feel unwelcome," Weiss said quickly. Taiyang beamed at her and she relaxed a little. "It's just, this, all of this, isn't what I know. With father and Winter and Whitley, everything was so different. I don't," she stopped talking, trying to process her thoughts. Taiyang said nothing and she was so grateful for that moment to gather herself. Finally, she opened her eyes. "I don't know how to handle a family that shows love, rather than just saying it." _Because my family never loved me, and how can I show what I don't know?_

"You know…you're not too different from how Summer was when Raven and I first met her." Taiyang mumbled.

Weiss turned a surprised look on him. "I'm not?"

"Summer, well, she was never the heiress of a company, but there wasn't much love in that household. It was a shotgun wedding, and her parents stayed together more out of religious duty and mutual spite than any real affection. She came out of it pretty cold. Raven knew her from an old pen pal program that they kept going long afterward, so when Summer finished school she invited her out to Valencia for a visit." Taiyang sighed fondly.

"Raven and I got on like a house on fire, but by that point we had to turn things down by necessity. She was six months pregnant with Yang, but practically sick with worry over Summer. Her family was imploding, and there was nothing Raven could really do to help her in America, so she burned half of our savings to get Summer here."

"That sounds…drastic." Weiss said softly. "Were things that bad?"

"Mom and dad never came to physical violence, but it got close once or twice," Summer said from behind them. She pulled a chair over, and sat down. "Lawyers got called the minute my graduation was confirmed, and they told me I was more or less on my own. Raven and Taiyang were a lifeline."

"You should have seen her when she got here. Completely unnatural. Didn't know a word of Spanish. When Yang was born and Raven passed away, she offered to babysit Yang and I don't think there was anyone more unsuited to it." Taiyang laughed.

Summer smiled ruefully. "All I saw when I looked at Yang was another me. A kid who would grow up in a warped home. It took me a few months to see that Taiyang genuinely cared for his daughter. Eventually, I began seeing Yang as my own daughter too. Then I fell in love with this idiot and we had Ruby, and I went from having no family to having my family."

"So what you're saying is-"

"What I'm getting at is that we don't really expect you to break down your walls immediately," Taiyang said. "Like Summer said, it took her months. I don't think a week is going to solve that. What I want you to know, though, is that we'll be here, and you'll always be welcome in our home." The man reached over and placed his hand on top of hers. "You're a good girl, and you deserve a lot better than what you had. And if you want it, we'd be glad to have you call us family."

Weiss's breath hitched. She balled her hands into fists, her shoulders shook. She hadn't cried when Whitley came, when Winter ambushed her, but now, surrounded by the most supportive family she'd ever met, she couldn't help it.

"I'm so sorry," she said, and she kept repeating it. The comforting warmth of Taiyang's hand never vanished, while Summer came around behind her and hugged her loosely.

It was perfect, and Weiss couldn't stop crying and apologizing.

A good fifteen minutes later, she stepped back inside. Ruby was slouched back on the sofa, some telenovela playing out on the TV, but her eyes were fixed on Weiss.

The heiress made her way over. Her eyes were red and puffy, she knew she looked like a complete mess. Ruby sat up in alarm, but Weiss shook her head. She sat down next to Ruby, and then after a moment she let herself slump over, her head landing in Ruby's lap. She made a weak noise, until her girlfriend began to play with her hair.

Weiss closed her eyes. A short while later, she finally spoke. "Your parents are the best."

She could feel Ruby's warm smile on her skin without even looking. "Yeah. Yeah they are."

* * *

Ruby's first encounter with Jacques Schnee happened under different circumstances than Weiss would have preferred.

Of course, Weiss would have preferred a very sterile encounter that lasted no more than ten seconds and left her girlfriend feeling incredibly neutral about everything. She got…part of what she wanted, if nothing else.

It was the beginning of September, during practice at the Italian GP. Weiss was firmly ensconced in fourth place and hunting down Cardin Winchester at third, who after a disastrous Belgian GP finish in 11th place had given up a massive point lead. The potential for Weiss to podium was growing, and perhaps that was what finally brought him over from Switzerland.

Weiss was toweling off after her last practice run when he walked into the garage. The tech crew paid him little heed, but Weiss practically snapped to attention, before striding over to greet him. "Father," she began, "I wasn't aware that you were coming."

"I wanted to get a look at this operation without you dolling everything up to make it look better than it was," He said bluntly, looking around. "It seems Whitley may yet be proven premature in his judgment call on this…project of yours." He stepped deliberately around the word Whitley had used, and Weiss was, for once, thankful to her father for his tact.

"Whitley made a call four races into the season. While I would very much like to look over our engineering team for the next year to figure out how this problem went undiagnosed and unnoticed as long as it had, once the problem was sorted out, things fell into place. Had we began the season on our current pace, there would be no question about a third-place podium." She paused. "Given the data Whitley had, his judgment call was perhaps not unfounded, but his data was flawed from the beginning."

Jacques said nothing, taking in the goings-on in the garage with the air of a king surveying his lands. "And where is your new hire?"

Weiss stiffened slightly.

Jacques seemed to notice this, and smiled thinly. "You didn't truly believe I would come without knowing everything that has happened with this team, did you?"

 _No_ , Weiss thought, chewing her lip, _I just rather hoped you would overlook it._ "Ruby is with the team, taking a final look at the engine."

"And how does it look?" He rumbled.

"Perfect, sir." Ruby's voice came from behind him. She had, after her third GP, been given an official uniform. Already, it was dirtied with oil and grease stains, but Ruby never seemed to mind, and Weiss didn't either as long as Ruby wasn't trying to rub up against her. She was just glad that her girlfriend finally looked professional while at work.

Jacques turned slowly, and Ruby paled as she immediately spotted the familial resemblance between him and Weiss. Her eyes flickered to Weiss for a moment, but all Weiss could do was shrug. "So you're Ruby Rose. The one who righted this sinking ship, and my daughter's current flavor-of-the-month."

Ruby's nostrils flared, but she restrained herself from saying anything. Her eyes spoke volumes though, as she stared back at Jacques.

"I don't particularly approve of any of Weiss's _dalliances_ ," he scoffed, "but as long as she continues to produce results on the track I have no care how she passes her idle time, so long as it doesn't detract from Schnee Automotive."

"T-thank you?" Ruby asked, and then quailed under his look.

"Perhaps you should return to your job. I have yet unfinished business with my daughter."

Ruby hesitated, looking back to Weiss. Weiss simply nodded, so the girl turned and left.

"I must admit, I find your obsession with annoying me with these one-offs quite pointless, but at the very least she's not some needy hanger-on willing to lavish you with attention in exchange for our money."

Weiss's eye twitched. "Ruby is not a one-off, father."

"As I recall, the first of these affairs had you saying the same thing, and two weeks later you were broken-hearted."

"Father," She ground out.

"Weiss Schnee." He said imperiously, and she stiffened again. "I have already told you. So long as you produce results and do not embarrass our company, I don't care what you do. That is true now, and it will be true when you take over as CEO."

She closed her eyes, tried to regulate her heartbeat, calm herself down. "Of course, father."

"Good. Then, if we're on the same page, I'm going to take my leave. I expect to see results Sunday."

"I'll do what I can." She said.

"You will succeed, if you want this venture to continue." Jacques replied coldly. "A Schnee succeeds, or they are nothing."

He pivoted on his heel and strode out of the garage. Weiss felt as though she was going to collapse. In a flash, Ruby was by her side.

"So that was your father, huh? Never met a nicer guy."

Weiss snorted. "Jacques Schnee makes enough money that he doesn't need to be anything but what he wants to be."

"And what does he want to be?"

Weiss stared at the garage entrance. "On top of everything."

* * *

Singapore. Weiss was holding onto third place, just barely above Winchester, looking to gain at least another three points in the race for the driver's championship, perhaps even more if other drivers played spoiler. She grit her teeth for the upcoming Padang turn, the G-forces driving the combined weight of her helmet and head to the right, while her neck strained to hold everything in place.

It was as she came around the corner that the first massive shudder came from her engine. In her momentary fear, a wheel skipped on the outside edge of the road – she lost control of the car. Then the second shudder came.

Her car hit the far side and ground itself down against the wall just as her engine detonated.

All she could hear was the sound of her own heart, her own breathing. The pain in her body seemed so far away. The heat was fairly intense, though.

Academically, she knew she ought to keep her eyes open and try to get away from the fire, but it was so hard.

And then there was motion, off to the side, that wasn't cars. Medical crews? Maybe. They could just let her stay there. She was warm, like she was when Ruby held her. Warm like Valencia nights, in a home that welcomed her, in the arms of the woman she loved.

Oh.

She loved Ruby. Go figure she'd realize it now.

So sleepy.

Why wouldn't these people go away? She just wanted to sleep.

She could make out a voice amongst the crowd, one that screamed her name. It sounded like Ruby. She tried to turn, to see her, to tell her that she realized at last that there was no one else she'd ever want to be with. But she couldn't really talk.

Damn.

Her eyes drifted shut.

When she awoke, she was in a hospital room. The lights were low. She could recall the crash, and fear seized her momentarily. Before she even started to react though, a hand touched her shoulder. "Weiss," Ruby choked out.

Weiss turned her head, and there she was. She looked like a complete mess, but in that instant she was the most beautiful complete mess Weiss had ever seen. Weiss opened her mouth, but Ruby beat her to the punch. "Oh my god, I'm so glad you're…well, you're not _okay_ but it could have been so much worse. They found nothing serious on any of the tests they ran, and somehow you managed to come out of it without any broken bones, though they said you should be sore for a while."

She could guess as much, but the news about the lack of broken bones was a comfort. But that didn't really matter as much. She had something far more important to say.

As soon as Ruby would let her. "I'm so so sorry. I don't know what we did to the engine that caused it to explode like that, but I just can't help but think that I was the one who did something unnecessary and I almost _killed_ you and I can't believe I'm so darn stupid why would you even bother with someone like me?"

Weiss snorted. Even now, Ruby couldn't bring herself to swear. That woman. Finally, she grabbed at Ruby's hand and took it into hers. "Ruby. Shut up and listen." She managed. Her throat felt raw and scratchy. She'd need to ask Ruby for a drink, but that could wait.

She could see her girlfriend's crestfallen look. Ruby really was a dolt. But god damnit, Ruby was _her_ dolt, and she was going to make absolutely certain that was understood. "Come here."

Ruby drew in close enough for Weiss to bounce up and peck her lips. "I love you, Ruby."

Whatever Ruby had been thinking, Weiss saw it grind to a stop in her eyes. "W-what?"

"I love you. I have for a while now, I think, I just. I didn't know how to accept it."

"Weiss, I appreciate it, but that's got to be the adrenaline talking an-"

"If you suggest that this is nothing more than a chemical reaction I will fucking…I don't know, but I'll fucking do it, and then I'll say it again and again until you accept that I'm telling you the truth."

Ruby shook her head. "I just don't want this to be a mistake you're making because of the crash, Weiss."

"You're a lot of things to me, Ruby, but mistake isn't one of them."

Ruby stared at her, and Weiss could make out the same rhythmic tapping from their first date. "You had better mean it, Weiss."

"Xiao Longs don't take well to fake declarations of love?"

Ruby sniffed. "Roses can't handle that level of insincerity."

"Then I look forward to showing you how sincere I am for-" She stopped herself from saying 'the rest of our lives', but only just. "For as long as you'll have me."

"I'm not going anywhere for a long time, Weiss." Ruby giggled nervously before a hiccup interrupted her. "You asked for this."

"I'm a Schnee," Weiss said as she settled back down into the bed, Ruby's hand still firmly in hers. "I get what I want."

* * *

That wasn't entirely true. What Weiss wanted was a quick recovery that saw her back in the driver's seat for the Japanese GP at the latest. Between her doctor and Yang, she was told in no uncertain terms that she'd be lucky to get into the US GP, and that it would be better to aim for the Mexican. Or, in Yang's words: "Weiss, you are so fucking lucky to have come out of that crash _relatively_ unharmed, but your body is shaken up, and you're not firing on all cylinders. You're going to do your rehab, take it easy, or my sister will fucking kill me, and I quite like living."

So Schnee Automotive had to scramble for a second driver. Fortunately, Weiss knew exactly where to look.

They met Pyrrha Nikos and her three-man crew at Zurich Airport. They didn't immediately look like much, but after her experiences with Ruby, Weiss knew better than to judge.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice, Pyrrha." Weiss extended a hand.

Pyrrha took it with a grin. "Not at all. I was rather surprised, I wasn't expecting you to come knocking on my door til next year, like we'd talked about."

"Well, needs must." Weiss grimaced. "I'd rather have saved you for a nasty surprise near the start of the season, but we need you now."

All pretense of levity fled from Pyrrha's face. "Yeah." She looked past Weiss to Ruby. "Ruby Rose, I believe?"

"That's me," Ruby said. Weiss could hear her flagged enthusiasm, and apparently so could Pyrrha, because she hesitated for a moment.

Then Pyrrha smiled again, as intimidating as it was inviting. "Let's make sure car two is the most terrifying beast on the track so that when Weiss gets back in, she's got nothing to worry about, yeah?"

"…yeah, I can get behind that." Ruby said. "Let's do it."

Pyrrha was a well-known racer, finishing top-5 in a few FIA circuits before blasting to a first-place finish in Formula E. Weiss had immediately wanted her for Schnee Automotive's second car when they established themselves in the competition.

She and her team integrated quickly with the Schnee tech teams. Weiss felt oddly alone at times, watching Ruby devote herself all the more to fine-tuning their fourth engine for performance and making certain that it would hold out for the remaining six races.

Malaysia came and went, and Pyrrha stunned everyone with a debut and fourth-place finish. Weiss acknowledged the irritation she felt, but she knew it was out of her desire for competition more than any envy. She'd chosen Pyrrha specifically because the Electric Goddess was good enough to give her a run for her money, and that would help her to develop further.

Japan was more of the same, with Pyrrha finishing a strong fifth place. Cardin, having placed third both events, as well as in Singapore, expanded to a thirty-nine point lead on Weiss.

Come hell or high water, Weiss decided she had to come back out at the US GP. Yang wasn't happy, but acquiesced, and put her through hell in preparation. Weiss bore it all, and through the nights Ruby was there to help her.

Her re-entry at the US GP was strong – she took fourth, scoring another twelve points. Cardin, due to a botched pit, scraped seventh. A six-point gain.

In Mexico, Weiss hit the podium again with a third-place finish, this time snatching five as Cardin came in fifth.

But it was Brazil where she shocked everyone. In the first two laps, she blew past the entire field in a surprise maneuver to take first place, and held it. Twenty-five points, a flat thirteen-point gain on her rival for third place.

* * *

By the twenty-sixth of November, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and the end of the road, Weiss was fifteen points behind Cardin. Qualifying with a One thirty-nine two-seven-seven, it fit her in solidly at a fourth place start. There weren't many options for her to score third place. The best chance she had was coming in first again. But there was no way she'd be able to pull a surprise like she had at Interlagos.

It was eleven at night, and she was sitting in the garage, kicking her feet idly as she listened to the tech crews. "This sucks," she said finally. Ruby, who sat on her lap (Weiss insisted, despite being the shorter one), turned a curious eye to her. She'd never heard Weiss just complain like this before. "Everyone's worked so hard. We even brought Pyrrha in, I took home a first place finish, and we're still going to lose out on the driver's championship podium. All of this work and this time next year we'll have nothing to show for it."

"You don't know that," Ruby said softly. "There's still tomorrow's race."

Weiss snorted. "Ruby, as much as it infuriates me, I'm not a consistent enough driver to be on the level of Mercedes' crew. The surprise overtake worked and I managed to hold them off there, but they'll be ready for anything I throw at them. I'm not going to take first, and Cardin's not bad enough to drop sub-10 so that we can pick up all the spare points just to tie him."

Ruby rubbed her back. God she loved it when her girlfriend knew exactly what she needed. "I'm telling you, Weiss. Things will work out. We'll be back here next year. You've got what it takes to beat Mercedes, with or without tricks. Do you believe me?"

Weiss closed her eyes and basked in Ruby's gentle, unshakeable confidence. "All right. I believe you."

"Good. Then believe me when I say you're going to need all the sleep you can get for tomorrow." Ruby leaned in and kissed her.

"Will you come with?" Sleeping was easier when Ruby was there, she'd discovered.

"Of course. Can't have the driver without her favorite pillow, mm?"

"Damn right." Weiss grinned.

The morning came. Ruby tended to be one for early affections, but today she knew she had to be all business. She joined Weiss for her run, and then stayed at the garage for the rest of the morning to look over the last preparations for the season.

Half an hour before Weiss needed to report, after her pep talk with Yang, she dragged Ruby aside. The first ten minutes were spent with her face effectively fused to Ruby's. Eventually, she separated, breathing heavily. "You know," she began, "your time at Zwickau is supposed to start pretty soon. We should go apartment-hunting."

Ruby giggled, her eyes slightly glazed over from the suddenness of Weiss's assault. "I'd love to."

"Have I told you I love you recently?" Weiss asked suddenly.

Ruby giggled and put her index finger to her chin. "You know, I can't remember hearing it within the last couple of hours, no."

Weiss snorted. "Fishing for complements as always, I see. But seriously. I can't thank you enough, Ruby, for everything. For fixing that engine and stumbling into my life, for taking a chance on me. I love you."

Ruby sighed. "You tell a girl that and she'll think you're really getting serious."

Weiss wondered if Ruby had any idea. "I think I told you. Schnees get what they want, and what I want is you."

It was Ruby's time to snort. "Weiss, you've had me since we met."

"Well, good. I intend to keep having you." She said with an aristocratic air, turning her nose up.

"Not right now you won't, you need all your fluids for the race."

"Pervert."

"Unabashedly. But as much as I appreciate all of this, what's up?"

"I don't know. I just wanted to be near you, touch you, kiss you."

Ruby chuckled. "Now my sinister plan comes to fruition. You're addicted to me. Tell you what, when we're done here, take a sabbatical. I've got time before classes start, we'll spend a few weeks at home and then go to Zwickau and look for a place. But before that, you're going to go out there, and you're going to beat Cardin so hard he can't see straight."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Weiss said. "But before all of that…"

A few minutes later, Ruby screamed "YES." Weiss left shortly after to report for the race, her face red as her tech crew gave her disbelieving stares.

She knew the look and smile were probably giving the wrong impression, but she was too happy to care.

* * *

When the race started, Weiss knew she was in for a fight. Even ignoring Cardin for the moment, the one-two lead of Mercedes cars had spaced themselves just wide enough to make access to the line quick and easy while negating her chances of flying past them in a surprise push. So it was going to be a long fifty-five laps of poking and prodding and trying not to give away her own position.

Her first opportunity came five laps in, when Cardin took turn 14 a bit too aggressively trying to hold her off. A quick downshift and she cut inside, punching up and coming alongside him, and then forcing her way past as they came up onto 15. She managed to catch his scowl in her mirror, and felt a small smirk make its way onto hers, but she focused herself again.

Cardin was proving himself a pain in the ass, though, repeatedly making aggressive moves throughout the next series of laps. She defended herself well, though, while making minor gains on second according to Blake's reports in her ear.

On lap thirteen, Cardin made his move, but it wasn't the move she expected.

Coming around turn 7 on the hairpin turn, he slammed his nose into her car, just behind the tires. Weiss grunted and fought to maintain control, but he was pushing her off. Distantly, she heard Blake screaming in her ear, but she couldn't focus on that.

Her engine screamed as she managed to slip past him. Her rear tires ground over what remained of his front wing. She grimaced, already feeling her tires off.

Blake finally came back into her headset. " _Weiss!"_

"I'm fine. I have at least one bad tire though."

" _Yeah. You're not looking too much the worse for wear, but you need to pit now."_

Weiss scanned her instruments, and frowned. "It's…a lot worse than that, Blake. I have no instruments."

" _What?"_

"Apparently his hit didn't knock me out, but I'm driving blind here Blake."

She turned down the pit lane as soon as she could. Halfway there, her radio came on again, but it wasn't Blake.

" _Weiss,"_ Ruby said, " _we're still in this."_

"Ruby, I've got no instruments." Weiss scowled. "I can't go blind out there."

" _You won't be. You have me. Do you believe me?"_

Weiss came to a stop. In the two seconds her car was in the air, she closed her eyes and nodded. "Yes." As soon as she set back down, her foot was on the gas, and she shot back out and into the race.

" _Then get your head back in the game. We're not done yet."_

"Where's Blake?"

" _She's working with the crew. Any information you need, I'll relay it, but I need to be here right now. By the way, Cardin's done, so there's that. Now concentrate."_

Weiss did as instructed. Despite the incident, she'd only given up about four places. Assuming her car could hold together for the remainder of the race, she could make it up.

She was driving entirely by feel now. Feeling the car vibrate, feeling the engine through her hands and feet, she shifted, with Ruby reporting in her ear when her shifting came too late, too early.

She began making up places. Forty-four laps into the race, she was looking to steal back third. Coming up on turn 7 again, Ruby came on. " _Take the outside here and push in for DRS."_

"Outside?"

" _He's shifting way too early coming out of 7, and it keeps hemming you in. You can overtake him."_

Weiss grunted as she threw herself into the harsh turn, but she came off the brakes and onto the gas earlier than her opponent. She checked, saw the light was good, and hit the DRS. Her rear wing shifted, and suddenly she was boosting ahead of him, passing him cleanly. Now her target was clear in sight.

" _You have the tie, now, Weiss. You'll beat him on results alone."_ Ruby's voice was even, despite the radio interference. " _But that's not what you want, is it?"_

"No, it's not. I'm going to show Winter that I'm coming for her."

" _That's my girl. All right, you less than eleven full laps to make up ten seconds."_ A pause while Weiss took 8 and 9. " _It's doable, but it's going to come down to the wire. You're already picking up half-seconds on him. It's going to come down to outcornering him on 6, 12, and 17. He's not picking up the speed he should be on those short rights into lefts."_

"Got it." Weiss set her sights on the car in front of her as it went around 11. She tracked his movements even as she did her own, and she could see in the motion of the car that the driver wasn't as steady on the right side as the left. She cut the corner closer than she had all race, and Ruby was right back on her headset with words of encouragement.

The last ten laps stretched on. She focused on the road, her target, and Ruby's voice.

By the time she entered lap fifty-five, she was right behind her man. They came up on turn 6, and Weiss feigned an outside move, causing the startled driver to overadjust. Weiss attempted to slip inside, but barely missed her timing.

"I have DRS," she said as she went around 7, "do I use it?"

There was a pregnant half-second pause as she tore down the straight. Her thumb moved to the switch, but then Ruby cut in. " _No. Use it after 10."_

Weiss blinked. "But-"

" _You'll secure your lead on 12. Use it now, and he might be able to steal it back on the second straightaway."_

Weiss nearly swore, but kept her finger off the activation.

But she saw it in 8, a tighter line for the number two car than previous laps. She struggled to match it and keep her place on his tail, within the second frame to let her use DRS.

As they coasted around 10, it lit up. She punched it just as Ruby told her, " _Go get 'em."_

The reduced drag pulled her up alongside the Mercedes driver, and then agonizingly slowly, she passed him, hitting the brakes. She turned into 11, then pulled an impeccable line on 12 that opened up space between them.

" _You've got this,"_ Ruby said.

Weiss had it. Turn 17 only gave her another length between the cars, and when she crossed the finish line, she was crying.

Her team met her shortly thereafter. Weiss screamed as they lifted her off her feet and then tossed her, threatening to fire and murder all of them. Finally, they let her down. And then Ruby was there, throwing her arms around Weiss. "I knew you could do it," she mumbled into Weiss's ear.

"Not without you. Never without you," Weiss replied. "I love you so much."

"I love you too, Weiss." Ruby pulled away. Her eyes shone with pride. "Now you're going to have to do even better next year."

"She can try," A familiar voice interrupted. They turned. Winter stood there. "But Mercedes won't fall over for an upstart team. Weiss, I suppose congratulations are in order."

Weiss stared at her. "Do you want to try that and actually mean it?"

Her sister bristled. "I'm trying to be kind here, Weiss."

"You're failing. Backhanded and begrudging complements aren't 'nice'."

Winter took a deep breath, and then turned to Ruby. "You've done an incredible job turning their fortunes around. You'll make a formidable opponent for our engineering team." Her eyes searched the girl over, sliding down, and focusing in on something. "I see things have gotten serious between the two of you."

Ruby entwined her fingers with Weiss, refusing to hide the engagement ring that now rested on her right ring finger.

Winter shook her head. "Father would never approve."

"Father's approval only matters so much." Weiss shrugged. "I've produced results. I'm making my own way." Her eyes flashed. "And I didn't even have to cut ties with my family to do it."

Her sister shook her head and turned away. "We'll be ready for you next year."

"Make sure you're ready for Pyrrha too," Weiss called. Winter stiffened. "It might take us a year or two get fully up to your level, but we're coming for you. See me on top."

"Bring it on, Weiss." Winter finally looked back with a cold smile. "You've provoked the dragon."

Weiss answered back with her own, no bitterness now, just pure challenge. Winter walked away.

"Now, go get your trophy already," Ruby said before leaning in. "We've got two hours before the end of the season party, and I want to make full use of them."

Weiss swallowed and nodded. "Maybe I'll even get you to swear this time."

Ruby laughed. "Weiss, you've got yourself a task even harder than beating Mercedes right there."

Weiss put her arms around Ruby's waist and pulled her in for one last kiss. "Challenge accepted."

* * *

This was a fun, if odd, little thing to write. I hope you enjoyed. I don't have much to say, other than I'm still working on my big project, however slowly. I might have one or two other ideas in the pipeline that get jotted down before the big thing comes out, we'll see!


End file.
